Not for the first time: The deadly attack this morning (Monday) in Samaria made it unequivocally clear, for the umpteenth time, that a change in approach is needed in the fight against terrorism in Judea and Samaria. This is an opinion piece written by Oz Israel Schwartz from Srugim.
The unbearable ease with which Jews are murdered here amazes me every time anew. Three armed terrorists, in broad daylight, who then manage to escape deep into the territory. For a long time now, the political echelon and the security system should have changed their approach and moved from tweezers and pressure cookers to the introduction of heavy weaponry, just like in Gaza and Lebanon – so too in Judea and Samaria.
This morning, after the attack, Finance Minister Smotrich tweeted that "Nablus, Jenin, and Jenin should look like Jabalia." It's doubtful whether he believes what he writes. The same goes for the other ministers who occasionally demand more than they are capable of. After all, words don't cost money.
I wish I were wrong, but I tend to believe, based on past incidents, that this time too, no village will be destroyed, no family of terrorists will be expelled, and in a few days we will return to dealing with stone-throwing attacks and Molotov cocktails, as usual.
A long-standing discussion about the bypass roads in Judea and Samaria
The discussion about the bypass roads in Judea and Samaria has been ongoing for many years. This is also true in the well-known cases from recent years – the Al-Aroub bypass, the Huwara bypass, and the Funduq bypass where the attack occurred this morning. Without addressing the discussion on the issue of the bypasses, the attackers in Judea and Samaria sometimes understand us better than we understand ourselves.
The attack this morning at the Funduq bypass was not a coincidence – it occurred just a few days after the announcement of the start of construction on the bypass. The vulnerabilities are clear and known to our enemies. As mentioned, this was a premeditated attack, one that was filmed and in which the attackers knew exactly when the IDF forces would leave their positions so they could escape.
Bottom line, a fundamental change is needed here, from the root – one that will take a long time and, at its conclusion, things will not return to being the same. There are things that can be done already today – roadblocks, punishing family members, and restoring the IDF's ability to operate throughout northern Samaria.
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